Rhinoplasty: Tongue-in-Groove Technique

Published on February 26, 2018 by Sam Lam

This is one of my favorite maneuvers in rhinoplasty, and I use it when I need to do so in select primary and revision rhinoplasty cases. The tongue refers to the bottom part of the septum and the groove refers to the two inner nostril cartilages. The surgical maneuver is to move the tongue between the grooves. What this technique permits is to elevate too much nostril show from the side view in particular but also from the frontal view. This technique is a very advanced rhinoplasty method and requires an intimate knowledge of the inside and the outside of the nose to perform it. One of the other primary benefits of this technique is that it provides very reliable and stable nasal tip positions after the procedure. One negative of the procedure is that the nasal tip will be firmer to the touch and be less mobile when you push on it. To me this is a very minor negative point for all of its major advantages. One thing that I have learned about trying to communicate rhinoplasty anatomy and techniques is that it is very hard to do to a lay audience. The anatomy is so difficult to explain that I only find it easy to talk to other rhinoplasty surgeons about it. When choosing your rhinoplasty surgeon, make sure that he or she has extensive experience with complicated techniques that can work well in certain select cases.